If you have an experience of purchasing a book online and was given the option of a paperback or a mass-market paperback, there is a high chance that you will choose either of the two as you would think they are just the same. But truthfully, they are completely different from each other. A paperback is made of high-quality paper that usually has the same illustrations, size, and pagination of their hardcover edition.
This is also more expensive than the mass-market paperback and usually is available in bookstores, distributors, and book dealers. A mass-market paperback, on the other hand, is made of low-quality paper, smaller in size, and usually, do not have illustrations. It is also present in a bookstore but is common to see near the checkout lanes in supermarkets, drugstores, and airports.